


Scars

by galerian_ash



Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 08:04:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5998071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galerian_ash/pseuds/galerian_ash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"If you ask, I'll tell you."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scars

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! I've been working on a longer Riptide fic that I had planned on posting today, but... that didn't pan out, haha. I still wanted to post _something_ today, so I do hope you'll be able to enjoy this instead :)

"Oh, that looks old. Did you get it in the _war_?"

Cody had been doing his best to tune out Angelique's chatter, but at that his head snapped up. He stared at the newest addition to the Contessa crew as she pointed to the scar on Nick's lower flank. Nick reacted as expected, immediately yanking up his worn shorts. It was one of Cody's favorite pairs, and he normally loved the way they'd slowly slide down to hang loosely off Nick's hips — one little nudge being all it took to take them off completely. Now, however, he wasn't so fond of them.

"Uh, yeah," Nick began, haltingly. His gaze flickered to Cody for the briefest of moments, too short for actual eye contact. Cody decided to take it as an unconscious plea for help.

"Hey," he said, getting to his feet and sauntering over, "don't let him lie to you. The truth is far less heroic — I took him diving, and a dangerous piece of coral got the better of him." Cody fired off his most charming smile as he put his arm around Angelique's shoulders, leading her away from Nick. "Luckily I was there to rescue him."

Angelique giggled. "That sounds very dramatic."

"Indeed. Listen, I'm glad you stopped by, but I think you should get back now. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble for neglecting your actual job."

A soft snort from behind told him that the barb hadn't gone unnoticed by Nick. Angelique remained oblivious and simply nodded in response. "You're right, it would be awful to get fired during my first week!"

"It sure would," Cody said, forcing a laugh. "Bye for now."

"Bye Cody, bye... oh, I guess Nick went below." She looked over Cody's shoulder, pink lips pouting.

Cody gave her an encouraging push, and she finally stepped off the boat. A quick wave, then he was hurrying after Nick.

He hadn't gotten cut by a coral, of course. But neither had he gotten that scar during the war. And that was the extent of Cody's knowledge on the subject. It had been there for as long as he'd known Nick, and even back then it'd been old and faded.

The first time he'd gone down on Nick, he'd made a detour on the way to press a kiss to the jagged white line. Nick had tensed up, all his muscles coiling as if he'd been two seconds away from jumping off the bed and running away. Cody had wisely stayed clear of it ever since.

Nick was in the stateroom, back to the door. He had put on a shirt. There he stood, shoulders stiff and hunched, head hanging low — it reminded Cody of their time as MPs, when they'd been part of courts-martial. Some of the defendants had looked like that; like they were beaten before the trial had even begun.

Cody sighed. Nick really ought to know him better than that. He crossed the room in a few long strides, pressed himself up against Nick's back and slung an arm around his waist. Before Nick could react one way or the other, Cody let himself fall onto his bunk — dragging Nick with him.

He let out a surprised yelp and immediately began struggling against Cody's hold. "What the hell, man?"

"Stop squirming, will you?" he replied, wincing when Nick's elbow hit him in the ribs. They were evenly matched when it came to strength — well, okay, maybe Nick had a little edge on him. But Cody more than made up for it in determination and sheer stubbornness. If he had to, he could hold Nick in place. But he rather Nick stayed out of his own free will, than due to being forced. "Come on," he continued, "just lie with me for a while."

"Why?" Nick shot back. He sounded angry.

"Because I'm asking you to."

Nick stilled. "And you think that's good enough a reason?"

"I don't know, Nick. You tell me."

He was silent for a while, before taking a deep breath. "Let me go."

Now, if Cody hadn't trusted Nick, he wouldn't have let go. But he did; he trusted Nick with everything he had. He let go. His faith was rewarded as Nick merely used his newfound freedom to turn over, coming to face Cody.

"Hi," Cody said.

"If you ask, I'll tell you."

Cody reached out, stroking Nick's side. He pointedly let his hand stop to rest on Nick's hip, tracing the scar through the thin fabric of his shorts. "I know that, buddy. And that's why I won't ask."

With a low growl Nick moved forward, capturing Cody's mouth in a bruising kiss. It'd be easy to let himself be swept away and respond in kind; to fight for dominance, let it turn rough. They'd had plenty of practice with that sort of thing, after all. When they'd first fallen in bed with each other they'd been young and uncertain, and sex was more a fierce competition than an expression of affection. The years had changed that, which was why Cody knew that that wasn't what Nick needed. So he simply gave — yielded willingly, offered himself up for Nick to crash against.

Soon, the kisses turned softer, the roaming hands gentle against his body. Nick stretched him open with careful consideration, and pressed inside slowly, slowly, to the point where Cody lost his composure. He lifted his legs and wrapped them around Nick's lower body, trying to tug him forward.

Nick let out a low chuckle. "Is that a hint?" he asked, voice husky.

"Jerk," Cody hissed. Not the most eloquent response, but who could blame him? It wasn't easy to concentrate on witty repartee at a moment like this.

There was no doubt that Nick would've enjoyed teasing him further, but the telltale quiver in his body made it clear that he, too, was at his limit.

A final slow kiss, and then Nick began to move. Cody lost himself in it, as always, distantly aware of his own strangled groan when he came. Nick's steady rhythm faltered, and he soon followed suit.

They lay together in a sweaty tangle of limbs, panting. Cody was close to dozing off when Nick moved, pulling out of the embrace to stand up. "Hey," he protested.

"Be right back."

Cody watched as he disappeared into the head. There was the sound of running water, and then he came back out, a dripping wet towel in his hands.

"Mm, thanks," Cody said, stretching his limbs.

Nick sat down on the edge of the bunk. "No need to thank me, pal. I'm doing this for my own sake — if I let you fall asleep, without cleaning up first, you're gonna be whiny as hell when you wake."

"What? I will not," he began, only to gasp as Nick began toweling him off. "That's cold!"

"See," Nick said, smirking, "you're already complaining."

"You really _are_ a jerk," Cody muttered.

One last wipe between his legs, and then the towel was unceremoniously tossed on the floor. Nick lay back down, pulling him close. "Would a jerk take the time to warm you up again?" His hand rubbed Cody's stomach, dispersing the excess water.

"If he knew what was good for him, he would." Cody smiled and closed his eyes, enjoying the moment to the fullest.

Nick continued to touch him, going from vigorous rubbing to slow, languid strokes. "I was seven," he said, voice quiet.

"Hm?" Cody opened his eyes. There was a distant look on Nick's face, an abstracted frown between his eyebrows.

"It was around Christmas, and I was harping on about this bike I wanted. Dad had already said no. He was watching the game on TV, trying to relax after working all day. I just kept on pestering, and finally he got fed up so he shoved me outta the way. Not hard or anything," he quickly added, gaze flickering away, "I mean, it was an accident. He just wanted me to get out of the way 'cause I was blocking the TV."

"Yeah, I get it," Cody said, softly.

"Anyway, I — I lost my balance and bumped against the table, taking the beer bottle with me. I fell on it, and it cut me up some."

Cody twisted slightly, in order to put an arm around Nick and burrow in as close as he possibly could. "Did it hurt a lot?"

"It was an accident," Nick repeated. It sounded like a carefully practiced mantra; if not an excuse he'd used on others, then at least one he'd convinced himself of. That made it all the worse, and Cody struggled to temper his fury. It wouldn't help Nick any.

"Did you get stitches?" he asked instead.

"Yeah."

"Bet you were the cool kid in school, huh?"

Nick's lips twitched, like he wanted to smile but wasn't quite able to. "I sure was. So I really didn't mind, and I even got that damn bike for Christmas, but my dad... My dad never looked me in the eye again. He divorced my mom a few months later, and moved to another town."

Cody tilted his head to press a tender kiss to Nick's forehead. "I'm sorry," he whispered. There was no point in asking if they'd kept in touch. Nick never spoke of his father, had barely even _mentioned_ him during all the years they'd known each other, so no doubt the bastard had just split without so much as a backward glance.

"It's okay, don't worry," Nick said, mouth settling into a rigid smile. "I was just a kid, so back then I thought it was all my fault that he left. But there were a lot of factors — my parents were fighting a lot, he hated his job, and I think he just needed a fresh start somewhere else. I'm able to see all that, now."

Cody listened to Nick's words, and he listened to his body language. They were telling two different stories.

"It wasn't your fault, Nick."

"I know. I just said that, didn't you hear?" The awful smile started to slip, but he still held on to it.

"It wasn't your fault in any way."

"Knock it off," Nick snapped. He sat up, tense and clearly uneasy. "I _know_ , alright?"

Cody sat up as well. "I know that you know, Nick. Rationally, you know it wasn't your fault. But you don't believe it. And that's just as important, if not more."

"What? Cody, c'mon, the two aren't mutually exclusive. Let's just drop it. I shouldn't have said anything in the first place."

Cody reached out and grabbed Nick's wrist, making sure he stayed in place. "Look, you trust me, right? I know you do, just as much as I trust you. So believe in me, will you? It's okay if you can't believe it wasn't your fault, we'll work on that — but for now please believe _me_. And I'm telling you it's not your fault, Nick."

Nick stared at him for a long while. Finally he looked away, blinking rapidly. "Yeah. Okay." His voice shook badly, but it sounded like he truly meant it.

"Thank you," Cody answered. He let go of Nick's wrist, lying back down. Waiting. It was a silent invitation, and the choice was all Nick's. Stay, or go.

"Sometimes I wonder," Nick mumbled. It almost sounded as if he was talking more to himself than to Cody. "If he'd stuck around, would my life have been different? Would _I_ be different?"

"Then I'm glad he left." He regretted the words as soon as they'd escaped his mouth, but by then it was too late. Nick's head slowly turned to look at him — confused, a little hurt. Cody could've kicked himself.

"I didn't mean it like that, Nick. I'm sorry, I just... I like you just the way you are, you know? I wouldn't want you to be different."

The corners of Nick's mouth lifted, curving into a soft smile. "Oh."

"And I think things have turned out pretty good for us. You don't actually wish for something else, do you?" He aimed for levity, but the question somehow came out sounding very small.

Nick's eyebrows drew together. "Aw, Cody..." He lay back down, pulling Cody into a tight hug. "I love you. I love you so much I can't even put it into words. I wouldn't trade this for anything."

Cody returned the hug. "Love you too."

They stayed like that for a long time, just holding each other. Nick's old loopy grin was firmly in place, and Cody had a feeling that his own answering smile looked every bit as silly.

"By the way," Nick finally said, "a coral? That was the best you could come up with? You had to rescue me from an inanimate piece of _coral_?"

"Hey now, I'll have you know that it was a very romantic rescue."

"Oh yeah?" Nick moved closer, bumping their noses together.

"Uh-huh."

"Was there kissing involved?"

"You bet," Cody said, leering. "Care for a demonstration?"

Nick did.


End file.
